Edeka, a major German supermarket chain, is planning significant changes to its store concepts. The company is set to discontinue its popular service counters in many locations due to staffing shortages, according to a report in “Lebensmittelzeitung”.
Regional implementation of changes
The restructuring will primarily affect stores in the North and Minden-Hannover regions, as well as in Southwest, North, and South Bavaria. In these areas, stores will be remodeled to replace traditional fresh food counters with staff by self-service counters.
Edeka Southwest is currently evaluating which store layouts, product ranges, and stocking concepts can be operated with minimal staff. In the Minden-Hannover, North, and North and South Bavaria regions, the focus is on modernized company-operated stores with flexible approaches that can be adjusted based on success, failure, and customer feedback.
To continue meeting customer needs, the range of pre-packaged goods will be expanded. This strategy aims to maintain product availability while addressing the staffing challenges.
Adapting to staffing shortages
Edeka retailers who wish to maintain service counters but struggle with staff shortages are implementing limited service hours. For instance, fresh food counters might only be staffed between 8 AM and 4 PM, remaining closed outside these hours.
Many Rewe stores, another major German supermarket chain, have already adopted this concept. Some Rewe locations have completely replaced their fresh food counters with self-service options.
These changes reflect the broader challenges facing the retail industry, as companies strive to balance customer service with operational constraints. While the move may disappoint some customers who value personal service, Edeka’s strategy aims to ensure continued product availability and store efficiency in the face of staffing difficulties.
